CHANDIGARH: Sukhbir Badal was re-elected as president of Shiromani Akali Dal during the organisational election at Amritsar. The move comes months after him resigning from the post over a religious punishment.
The 105-year-old Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is grappling to maintain its political relevance in Punjab today.
Party sources said that Sukhbir was both the 'favourite' and 'the only candidate. The election follow the conclusion of a three-month-long membership drive.
The session for electing SAD’s new president was held at the Teja Singh Samundari hall in Golden Temple complex at Amritsar. It is also the administrative hub of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
The SAD had chosen a total of 567 delegates -- four each from 117 assembly constituencies across the State to cast their vote for the new party chief.
Badal’s name was proposed by party’s working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar and party leader Paramjit Singh Sarna seconded it.
His supporters launched a 'massive' campaign on social media, branding him as a 'development' man (vikas purush).
Also, a new slogan, “Punjab di pukar, Sukhbir di sarkar,” was introduced.
While the SAD once held significant sway over Punjab politics and had currently just two MLAs in the state assembly, Ganieve Kau, wife of former minister Bikram Singh Majithia, who is brother-in-law of Badal seen as a loyalist of the Badal camp.
The other is Manpreet Singh Ayali, who has been consistently calling for leadership change in the party.
Several senior party leaders, including Badal’s wife and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, former ministers Bikram Singh Majithia, Daljit Singh Cheema, and senior leader Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, were present.
The party will hold a political conference on April 13 at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda, where Badal will deliver an address.
With this election, he once again assumed leadership of the Shiromani Akali Dal.
On December 2 last year, the Akal Takht (highest temporal seat of the Sikhs) had imposed a religious punishment on Sukhbir and other senior party leaders, citing the alleged misrule of the SAD government from 2007 to 2017.
The then jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Raghbir Singh had directed the party’s working committee to accept Badal’s resignation in three days and form a new committee to initiate a membership drive. He had also directed to begin the process of electing new leadership.
Earlier, Sukhbir resigned from his post as the SAD president on November 16, 2024, after being declared 'tankhaiya' (guilty of religious misconduct) by the Akal Takht only to have the party working committee reject the same.
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which is seen as controlled by the SAD, removed Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, Takht Kesgarh Sahib Jathedar Giani Sultan Singh and Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh from their respective positions -- doing away with all the jathedars involved in passing the decree to punish Badal.
Despite not being a president, Badal remained at the helm of party affairs.
He was the face of the SAD and key speaker at the Maghi Mela.
On January 21, when the SAD held a membership drive as per the Akal Takht’s directions, Badal was the first to join the party.
Sukhbir Badal was first elected as the president of Akali Dal in December 2008, during his father Parkash Singh Badal’s tenure as Chief Minister.
He was lauded as a leader of the future for introducing a corporate-like political culture within the party. However, dissent grew as the party faced consecutive electoral defeats, starting with the 2017 Assembly elections.